fitness, health & fashion by model and YouTuber Kirby Anne Akindeinde

Month: August 2014

Standing at 5 foot 5 I’m considered ‘too short’ for the fashion industry. The typical agency will accept models no shorter than 5’8 and for catwalk, even that’s considered short. But lately there have been some changes to this that are definitely not going unnoticed.

I’m a little obsessed with Australian model and full-time cutie Mimi Elashiry. She’s captivated the social world of Instagram with her cheeky smile, sun-kissed skin and to-die-for wardrobe. Well now she’s taking things further. At 5’6, Mimi is two inches shorter than the strict industry cut-off and has been rejected by pretty much every model agency that she’s approached. Being told by one agency that she may as well give up now, Mimi decided to do it herself. Asking a photographer family friend to take her pictures Mimi took to Instagram to promote.

Now with a following of over 400,000 people and working with some of Australia’s popular female fashion companies, it’s beyond me how she’s been declined by so many model scouts. Well, I bet they’re kicking themselves now because Mimi has just been signed to one of LA’s top agencies Next Model Management and will be walking tall for David Jones at Vogue’s Fashion Night Out this Thursday. This is something that’s grabbed the attention of thousands- yippeee!!! And about time too.

The fashion industry is quick to criticise any model different from the norm and being shorter than fashion standards can be seen as almost offensive. Ridiculous. From personal experience, I feel Mimi’s frustration in her struggle to be noticed in the fashion world and simply being held back by her height. 5’6 is hardly short (the average UK female height is around 5’4.5) and she has a face and figure that would have any man- and woman- falling head over heels to look at. So why has it taken so long for this break through to occur?

Luckily, there are other industry movements that leave even more hope for us shorter girls and guys. New model agency Anti-Agency represents only models that aren’t typical ‘model material’ and e-commerce sites such as ASOS and Boohoo have been seen to use shorter models lately. Even designers such as Nasir Mazhar are making a stand against the norm by featuring a variety of heights and races in their shows. It’s refreshing to see such changes but these are just a drop in the ocean.

Admittedly, the world of fashion advertisement isn’t there to showcase a realistic view of the average person. Their aim is to create an aspirational factor that people strive to achieve and hence, buy into with the hope of doing so. However, who says that 5’8 and taller is the only height to aspire towards? Who says that white models are the only models that should be admired? Who says that curvy models don’t exist? I definitely don’t and know that the majority of people out there would like to see some variation in these figures that we are expected to desire.

Well congratulations, Mimi. With a social following of over triple the spread of many popular publications this is one little lady who is making some noise. This is the start of bigger movements and I’m excited to see (and hopefully be part of) what lies ahead. There’s still a long way to go, but personally I think that this is the right time for a change. Who’s in?

Your body works 24/7 to build and repair muscle- not just when you’re working out! What we eat is so important, as eating the right food can provide your body with the fuel that it needs to build and repair efficiently. Carbs are perfect for energy and protein for muscle-growth, but the choices we make in what we eat can seriously effect our body’s performance. Pre-workout snacks can be amazing to increase your energy during workouts, meaning better sessions and greater results! Here are some of my favourite yummy snacks to eat before exercise!

By the way, when you eat matters too! If your food isn’t digested before you workout, it will be trapped and won’t be available to your working muscles. Also, undigested food can lay heavy on the stomach, leading to cramp!

Eat these snacks 60-90 minutes before working out, as not to fill your belly too much!

Eggs on Wholemeal Toast Yum yum, I love eggs in my tum!! Make sure you boil or scramble (not fry!) and eat with wholemeal toast.

Peanut Butter and Banana on Toast Don’t overdo this. 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter and half a banana will do the trick. Again, make sure to keep the toast wholemeal!

Low-fibre, Whole Grain Cereal with skimmed milk or soy milk and a small banana.

Smoothie Made from fresh fruit, frozen fruit and plain yoghurt. Choose your favourites and experiment with different flavours!

High Protein Energy Bar Try to only have this one if you’re going to be doing longer sessions i.e. long-distance runs.

Berries with Greek Yoghurt Berries help to fuel carbs throughout your workout and Greek yoghurt is packed with protein to help keep you satisfied for longer.

30 minutes before your workout try…

Peanut Butter and Apple Slice some apple, spread the peanut butter and taa daa- a delicious and healthy snack to boost workout energy!

Fruit Simple as that. Pick a selection of your favourite fruit and prepare a fruit salad. Super refreshing and light!

Banana and a Small Glass of Milk Make sure that this is soy or skimmed milk.

If you only have 15 minutes, just have the banana! 15 minutes isn’t very long for our bodies to digest, so you don’t want to be overloading your tummies with food.

Make sure to eat another small snack within 30 minutes after working out, as to refuel our bodies so that we don’t start to loose muscle! This would defeat the whole object of the workout.

I’ve never been a massive fan of Nike AF1’s but there’s something about the new Iridescent Pearl collection that have me swooning. Taking inspiration from the elegance of raw pearls, these are a pair of trainers that will be drawing some attention. Street meets luxury? That’s something I like the sound of. I’m already imagining myself in my all black outfit with these as a statement piece!

Not too much longer to wait; these beauties drop online at 8am on September 12th 2014. There’s a limit of one pair per customer so if you want to bag yourself a pair you’ll have to be quick, as it sounds like they’re in high demand! Quite frankly, I’m not surprised. These are the nicest AF1’s that I’ve ever seen and I’m already intrigued to see what Nike have up their sleeves for the AF1 next!

A fan of the Sky Hi’s? You’ll be happy to know what the Lunar Force 1 Sky Hi’s have had some pearly inspiration too!

If you’re going to be having a drink over this long weekend, don’t let it completely ruin your health kick! Here are a couple of tricks to help cure that hangover without reaching for the junk food, fry up or fizzy pop!

Fruit Juice

Drink plenty of it! Hangovers occur due to a toxic chemical called ethanol (basically the actual alcohol in our drinks), which works in the body as a diuretic, making us visit the bathroom a little more often and hence, become dehydrated. I won’t lie, water is the best way to rehydrate but stomaching water the morning after the big night out is sometimes easier said than done. You should be able to drink the fruit juice no problem and at the same time will be topping up vital vitamins.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is amazing for rehydration. This is also a great one to drink after a workout too.

Bananas & Kiwi

Both are a great source of Potassium, which we loose from our body when drinking. Not a big fan of fruit? Baked Potatoes are also high in Potassium and should fill you up enough not to need to order that takeaway!

Eggs & Tomatoes

Try eating boiled egg with either grilled tomato or tomato juice, instead of the usual big fry up. Eggs are full of amino acids that can help to break down acetaldehyde, which is the headache causing chemical left over when your body breaks down ethanol. Tomatoes contain fructose and Vitamin C. Both of which help to give the liver that little boost that it needs.

Oats

A superfood full of essential nutrients! Eat a hot bowl of oatmeal to neutralise acids in the body and increase blood sugar levels.

Sleep

Let your body repair to the maximum by having a nice long sleep. Need I say more…

We all know how difficult it can be to eat healthily all of the time, especially when those mid morning, afternoon and evening cravings kick in. But there are plenty of healthy snacks out there that can keep us going all day! Here are a couple of my favourite good-for-you grabs to help you keep on track. They’re also really quick and easy to prepare!

Peanut Butter and Fruit

Source: livelearnloveeat.com

One of my boxer friends introduced me to this and I’ve never looked back! Sounds a little strange, right? But this is delicious! If you’re a fan of peanut butter you will love this tasty treat. It’s also great for people who struggle to get there 5 a day (well now 8/9 according to new government recommendations), as it makes the fruit that little bit more enjoyable. I love fruit and peanut butter, and they work great together. I recommend apple as number one but don’t be afraid to experiment! Pear, banana and strawberries all work nicely too.

Frozen Fruit Kebabs

Source: cherrypepper.fr.com

Just skewer a selection of your favourite fruits and freeze. Simple! A yummy way to eat your fruit- you’ll feel like you’re eating an ice lolly! Grapes are a great one to freeze. They taste like little sorbet drops, m m mmmm.

Hummus

This is a simple one. Just chop up carrot, peppers and celery into sticks and dip, dip, dip! Not a fan of hummus? Try Tzatziki instead.

Flavoured Water

Source: eatingrichly.com

Sometimes when you think that you’re hungry, it’s actually because you’re a little dehydrated. When you’re feeling peckish, try having a glass of water. You may be surprised at how your hunger disappears. Water can be boring but making it flavoured can be much more satisfying. Chop up cucumber and mint, add to the water and let it sit over night. Alternatively, make lemonade with sparkling water, fresh lemon juice and honey.

Chocolate Strawberries

Chocolate doesn’t have to be bad all of the time. Dip Strawberries (and banana if you fancy) into melted chocolate and leave in the fridge overnight. This is a great snack for if you really struggle to keep away from chocolate, as it makes it that little bit healthier and you’ll feel satisfied without eating a full bar!

I’m always on the look out for healthy snack ideas, these are just a few of my faves. It would be great to hear more suggestions if you have any, or if you try making any of the above why not let me know what you think! Enjoy xx

The weather was being a little naughty the other day; bright sun shining in through my window and then as soon as I stepped out of the door frosty winds blew me away. I’d been planning on going for a run but early signs of a cold and the icey weather put me off. Hmmm, time for a home workout? But of course, which one! There’s thousands out there and it’s sometimes difficult to know which ones to go for. I took to Google and an mobile app called Sworkit popped up a few times so I decided to give it a go.

Overview

Sworkit is a free app that lets you pick between ‘Strength & Cardio’, ‘Yoga & Stretching’ or you can complete a ‘Custom Workout’ designed to target specific areas or sports. You can also select your time, from 5 to 45 minutes- you choose! A pro version is also available at a little cost, but try the free one first!

My Workout

I chose the ‘Strength & Cardio’ category, as I wanted to work up a bit of a sweat. I then selected the full body routine and started on 10 minutes. Some of the routines I found quite difficult- the shoulder tap push ups being one of them, as my arms are pretty weak at the moment- but others were rather standard like the mountain climbers. I’d burnt 80 calories in the 10 mins but hadn’t really worked up too much of a sweat.

Next I tried the ab and bum specific routines for 10 minutes each. Again these ranged from simple exercises such as the plank to more complex manoeuvres. I could feel my abs aching by the end but I definitely needed to spend longer on the rear. My daily exercise usually involves a lot of squats or leg power i.e. sprinting, so I tend to need an intense leg/bum workout to feel great results. I’d burnt 68 cals from each one of these. Totalling 216 calories in 30 minutes- that’s a grilled ham and cheese toastie or a jam-filled donut. Not too bad and I was feeling a little closer to being more toned.

The Good

Demo Videos

A vast variety of exercises

Sport-specific workouts such as the Golfer or Surfer routines!

Body-specific workouts. The ‘Rump Roaster’ bum one was my fave.

Choose time to suit you!

Can skip certain exercises (you may want to do this if you have an injury and the exercise would be detrimental but don’t be tempted to skip just because you find it too difficult- tempting, I know!!)

It’s free, always a bonus

No equipment needed. It’s just you and the exercise mat… and your phone of course.

The Bad

Some advanced exercises that beginners may not know or use the correct technique

No music- you need to provide your own!

Space is needed for some of the drills

Although you can allow for a 5 second break between each different exercise, I found that a few times I lost workout time having to jump straight into position after watching the demo videos. Not the best if you’re jumping into some of the more complicated drills.

In conclusion

Sworkit is an amazing app to use if you’re looking to learn some new exercises. I’d never thought to do a wall push up before- amazing if you don’t have much space and also much easier on the arms if you’re not quite strong enough to do many standard push ups. I wouldn’t say that it’s particularly motivational- there’s no music and no voice to really cheer you on, but it’s good if you sometimes need a little reminder on the different exercises that are out there.

I’ll definitely use Sworkit again and it will probably be in the gym, when I find myself sat on the mat wondering what on earth more I could possibly do to work my abs (or bum or arms or legs). If you take the app seriously and really work hard on each drill you’ll be able to feel aches and pains the next day- which is good, remember!! Overall, I’d recommend it more for beginners. Sorry pros, you might have to pay for the upgrade!

My first post- whoop! And it only seems right to dedicate it to the lovely Bali-based brand Flook The Label.

Scouring the internet (stalking through Instagram) a few months ago I came across the wonders of Flook and instantly fell in love. For those of you who know me, I love to wear leisurewear everywhere, crush majorly over anything that looks slightly exotic and looking at my wardrobe you’d think that I live in Ibiza. I don’t, I live in London. So when I stumbled upon this little gem of a brand, it had tigeress written all over it.

From leisurewear, swimwear to lingerie, Flook The Label allows you to feel holiday-fresh where ever you are, and it’s no wonder with the amazing story behind the brand. I spoke to the lovely and super-talented founder Nikki Flook and here’s what she had to say…

“I’m actually from the UK originally and about 2 years ago I decided to leave London after 7 years of living there to then travel the world for 6 months! As part of my trip I spent a month in Bali and fell in love with the place… shortly after I got a job here with a bikini company and then slowly moved in to making my own label- I had worked in fashion since graduating in 2004 but it had always been my dream to have my own collections.”

Dreamy, right?! Now owning Flook The Label, Nikki has a small factory in Denpasar, Bali which specialises in swimwear and lingerie and uses the local Balinese women to hand craft all of the macrame pieces. This is a brand that you need to keep your eyes on, as it’s only going to get bigger.

I love the brand and it’s story so much that I’ve used the product to front my very own launch of Tigeress Lifestyle. You may have noticed the cutie leopard print two-piece or macrame grey crop top as you entered the site… No? Well check it out below.